The LAC has three free English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring programs to help you with conversation skills, pronunciation, vocabulary, idioms, grammar and writing skills.
The Conversation Lab is a great place to practice your English with a native speaker. It is a relaxed, informal, and safe place for you to ask questions or practice speaking English. Our friendly tutors will help you with pronunciation and grammar, and will even explain American idioms, slang, and culture.
You do not need to make an appointment to use the Conversation Lab. It’s free, so just bring your student ID and your questions. We are here to help.
The ESL Specialist Program will help you prepare for the Writing Proficiency Exam (WPE), succeed in a Graduation Writing Assessment Requirement ( GWAR) course, or improve your English language skills so you can succeed in your studies.
You'll get help with writing, speaking or listening that is specifically designed to meet your needs. Our goal is to help you learn how to spot your errors and correct them on your own, so you are able to speak and write English better.
ESL tutoring is by appointment only. Our ESL Specialists meet with each student once or twice a week for the entire semester (or for the duration of the course taken in summer). Summer tutoring begins the week of June 4th and ends on July 12th.
During the semester, students working on writing assignments will have the opportunity to direct specific questions to an ESL Specialist as they proceed with their task. The ESL Specialist will be available from 1-3pm Monday through Thursday to provide guidance during the writing, revision, and editing phases, but will not edit a draft or assist a single student for more than a few minutes at a time. To access this service, students must speak with one of the program coordinators at their first visit and obtain a drop-in card.
The goal of drop-in ESL support is to create independent writers who understand that a successful essay takes more than one night to complete and that language development is a process that requires consistent practice in a supportive environment. Toward this goal, the ESL Specialist will guide students to their own answers through effective questioning that requires students to think critically about their own language use and composition.
Some students seeking drop-in support may be required to participate concurrently in weekly individual appointments (50 minutes) with an ESL Specialist; however, all students are encouraged to become involved in all three of our services, which include individual appointments, the Conversation Lab, and drop-in ESL support.
This service is intended to support English language learners in the following courses:
